The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-11-14
AN ABSURD STATEMENT.

1t IS SAID That from 1873 to 1913 there were
over 100000 men out of employment
They are not out of work now. From Jeffer-
son, jackson and down to Grover Cleveland's
administration, the country has seen no bet
ter times--Senator Voorhees,.
Statements by Senator Voorhees, are apt to
be inaccurate and misleading, and this one is
no exception. at is said that from 1873 to
1873 there were over 3, 900, 900 men out of
employment" Who says so2 Any person
who knows, who had any means of knowing,
or whose statement is worth anything9 Was
the statement made by some greenbaek infia-
ZIONIST, of whom Senator Voorhees, was one,
by some Democratic candidate for office, or by
some crossroads Democratic newspaper In
making statement of that kind a Senator of
the United States ought to be able to give
better authority than cit is said" As mat
ter of fact the statement is ridiculously un-
true. Again, are told t'they are not out of
work now" Does Senator Voorhees, know
this9 Not bit more than he did the other
He has no information on the subject, and no
means of knowing. Some Of the most expen-
sive strikes that have occurred in the United
States have been during the last two years.
and the labor troubles during that period have
been continuous and general. Finally, says
Mr.. Voorhees,, 'tfrom jefferson, jackson and
down to Grover Cleveland the country has
seen no better times" This discloses the OBJ
iect of the previous misstatements. It is to
create the impression that good times have
always prevailed under Democratic rule s'from
jefferson and jackson down." and that Grover
Cleveland's administration, like those of his
Democratic predecessors. is marked by ex-
ceptional prosperity. Here again the state
ment and reference are false. The reference
to the times of Jefferson is absurd. Jefferson
was President from 1900 to 1908. Nobody
knew what prosperity was in those days. The
government was in its infancy, and the coun-
try was just beginning in feeble sort of way
to recover from the effects of the revolution
ary war The national debt was larger than
at the close of the war, taxes were heavy,
production was limited, there were no manu-
features. fuctuating currency, and all the
conditions of financial distress. The Demo
Gratis retained control of the government with
out a break till 1910. The Presidents in sue
cession were Madison, Monroe, jackson and
Van Buren,. In 1920, during Monroe's admin
istration there was financial panic accom-
panied by widespread ruin and distress. This
was followed by several years of hard times.
Jackson's administration period of finan-
cial excitement. In 1867, during Van
Buren's administration, occurred the most
disastrous commercial crisis the country has
ever known, followed again by several years
of hard times. In 1857, during Buchanan's
administration, there was another panic sue
ceeded by period of stringency. These
facts are mentioned to show how little truth
there is in the impression sought to be created
by Senator Voorhees,, that Democratic times
have always been good times. The country
owes none of the elements of its present
prosperity to the Democratic party. What
ever prosperity it is enjoying now is due
largely to causes which had their origin before
the Democracy came into power. The re-
sumption of specie payment, opposed by Sem